When do finches leave Montana?

The House Finch does not leave Montana: it is reported all year, from 15% of checklists in mid June to 31% in the second week of December.

When is the best time to see finches in Montana?

The House Finch is reported most often in the second week of December, on about 31% of Montana checklists.

Which finches are in Montana?

House Finch, Pine Siskin, Evening Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, and Redpoll are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.

5 finch species in Montana

When Do Finches Arrive in Montana?

Photo: Daughter Dad, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

House Finches, Pine Siskins, and Evening Grosbeaks are the finches you are most likely to see in Montana. The House Finch is in Montana all year. It turns up on about 31% of checklists at its peak (the second week of December) and on 15% in its quietest week (mid June).

When to look

PresentAll year

Peak weekDec 8-14the second week of December

Quietest weekJun 15-21mid June

Best: the second week of December. Here all year. Peak: on about 31% of Montana checklists.

Janpeak season
Febpeak season
Marpeak season
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Juncommon
Julcommon
Augcommon
Seppeak season
Octpeak season
Novpeak season
Decpeak season

Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.

Finches in Montana, species by species

Species	First arrivals	Common by	Peak	Most gone by	Peak %
House Finch	all year	–	Dec 8-14	–	31%
Pine Siskin	May 15-21	May 15-21	Jul 8-14	Oct 1-7	27%
Evening Grosbeak	May 1-7	May 1-7	May 22-31	Jun 8-14	14%
Red Crossbill	Jun 22-30	Jun 22-30	Aug 1-7	Aug 22-31	10%
Redpoll	Oct 22-31	Nov 1-7	Dec 22-31	Mar 22-31	5.2%

House Finch
Pine Siskin
Evening Grosbeak
Red Crossbill

Share of complete checklists reporting each species, by week (4 per month). Gaps: fewer than 10 checklists that week.

Frequency is the share of complete checklists in Montana that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.

Where in Montana

Best counties for House Finch

Share of checklists at the peak

Yellowstone CountyBest the second week of February · 247 checklists that week, 13,895 in all57%
Musselshell CountyBest mid October · 15 checklists that week, 961 in all53%
Stillwater CountyBest the second week of November · 15 checklists that week, 2,184 in all50%
Sweet Grass CountyBest mid February · 10 checklists that week, 1,532 in all48%
Valley CountyBest the second week of February · 12 checklists that week, 3,392 in all48%
Liberty CountyBest mid August · 23 checklists that week, 800 in all47%

All finches in Montana

9 species are reported regularly: 1 stay all year, 3 are summer visitors, 3 are winter visitors, and 2 mostly pass through.

#	Species	Pattern	First arrivals	Peak	Peak %
1	House Finch	Year-round	all year	Dec 8-14	31%
2	Pine Siskin	All year, most in summer	May 15-21	Jul 8-14	27%
3	American Goldfinch	All year, most in summer	May 15-21	Aug 8-14	26%
4	Evening Grosbeak	All year, most in spring	May 1-7	May 22-31	14%
5	Red Crossbill	All year, most in summer	Jun 22-30	Aug 1-7	10%
6	Cassin's Finch	Summer visitor	Jan 22-31	May 8-14	8.4%
7	Redpoll	Winter visitor	Oct 22-31	Dec 22-31	5.2%
8	Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch	Winter visitor	Oct 15-21	Feb 15-21	2.4%
9	Pine Grosbeak	Winter visitor	Oct 22-31	Feb 8-14	2.2%

Common questions

When do finches arrive in Montana?: The House Finch is in Montana all year. It turns up on about 31% of checklists at its peak (the second week of December) and on 15% in its quietest week (mid June).
When do finches leave Montana?: The House Finch does not leave Montana: it is reported all year, from 15% of checklists in mid June to 31% in the second week of December.
When is the best time to see finches in Montana?: The House Finch is reported most often in the second week of December, on about 31% of Montana checklists.
Which finches are in Montana?: House Finch, Pine Siskin, Evening Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, and Redpoll are reported regularly; the House Finch is the most common.